Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smolyan and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Smolyan: $723 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Smolyan
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Smolyan Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Smolyan

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$723

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Smolyan and in Tbilisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Smolyan and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $723 in Smolyan versus $1,278 in Tbilisi.

Smolyan $723
Tbilisi $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,156 in Smolyan versus $2,017 in Tbilisi.

Smolyan $1,156
Tbilisi $2,017

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in Smolyan versus $2,755 in Tbilisi.

Smolyan $1,589
Tbilisi $2,755

Living in Smolyan costs roughly 43% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Smolyan 47% lower, Tbilisi 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.38 BGN 11.17

$11.62 ₾30.07

-45.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.37 BGN 65.4

$38.41 ₾99.4

-2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 BGN 10.14

$9.74 ₾25.20

-40.55%

Cappuccino

$1.32 BGN 2.32

$3.56 ₾9.21

-62.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.87

$1.08 ₾2.80

-0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.36

$0.56 ₾1.46

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 BGN 3.02

$2.73 ₾7.05

-37.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 BGN 3.81

$3.13 ₾8.09

-30.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 BGN 3.06

$2.14 ₾5.55

-18.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$0.75 ₾1.95

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.03

$1.80 ₾4.66

-3.89%

Eggs

$3.37 BGN 5.89

$2.80 ₾7.25

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 BGN 17.89

$9.43 ₾24.41

8.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 BGN 10.03

$7.00 ₾18.10

-18.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 BGN 15.11

$12.69 ₾32.83

-31.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 BGN 1.98

$1.63 ₾4.22

-30.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.02

$1.84 ₾4.77

-5.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.97 ₾5.09

-41.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 BGN 4.05

$2.47 ₾6.39

-6.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$0.75 ₾1.95

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.67 ₾1.74

122.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$1.41 ₾3.66

-34.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 BGN 1.05

$0.72 ₾1.86

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 BGN 5.94

$3.51 ₾9.08

-3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.55 BGN 9.72

$7.89 ₾20.40

-29.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 BGN 1.04

$1.70 ₾4.41

-64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.92

$2.37 ₾6.12

-29.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.38 ₾0.98

131.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.36 BGN 56.6

$15.29 ₾39.56

111.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 BGN 2.28

$1.19 ₾3.08

9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BGN 1.04

$0.74 ₾1.91

-20.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 BGN 21.33

$11.89 ₾30.76

2.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 BGN 2.69

$1.46 ₾3.77

5.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.1K BGN 40.4K

$25.0K ₾64.6K

-7.58%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.4K BGN 40.9K

$22.8K ₾59.1K

2.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$100 BGN 175

$88.1 ₾228

13.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.39 BGN 25.18

$12.71 ₾32.87

13.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.26 BGN 16.21

$19.79 ₾51.2

-53.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.86 BGN 38.26

$64.3 ₾166

-66.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.71 BGN 29.25

$19.17 ₾49.59

-12.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 BGN 13.38

$6.65 ₾17.20

14.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$230 BGN 402

$371 ₾961

-38.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,915 BGN 10.4K

$9,163 ₾23.7K

-35.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.19 BGN 49.33

$102 ₾264

-72.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.01 BGN 36.77

$39.65 ₾103

-47.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 BGN 103

$118 ₾306

-50.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.8 BGN 110

$120 ₾310

-47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 BGN 353

$690 ₾1,784

-70.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 BGN 247

$461 ₾1,193

-69.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 BGN 507

$1,362 ₾3,523

-78.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 BGN 417

$897 ₾2,321

-73.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,302 BGN 2,279

$2,277 ₾5,891

-42.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 BGN 1,910

$1,378 ₾3,564

-20.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$694 BGN 1,215

$710 ₾1,836

-2.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

12.53

-74.06%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Smolyan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Smolyan

$199 27.6%

Tbilisi

$235 18.4% 17.9% $36

Accommodation & Living

Smolyan

$141 19.5%

Tbilisi

$461 36.1% 226% $320

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Smolyan

$124 17.1%

Tbilisi

$121 9.4% 2.5% $3.1

Eating Out

Smolyan

$105 14.5%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 82.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Smolyan

$77 10.6%

Tbilisi

$171 13.4% 122% $94

Getting Around

Smolyan

$40 5.6%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 46% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Smolyan

$37 5.1%

Tbilisi

$78 6.1% 109% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $202 in Smolyan and $690 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Smolyan vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $235 per month, with Smolyan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Smolyan

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

13:26 1:26 PM

2 h ahead of Smolyan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,507

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.97 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Smolyan Tbilisi 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Smolyan
Tbilisi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Smolyan vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smolyan is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,085 in Smolyan and $1,918 in Tbilisi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $202 in Smolyan versus $690 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Smolyan versus $371 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Smolyan versus $1,278 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Smolyan but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Smolyan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Smolyan and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.